Clues in Bloomington, MN

After recording a series of albums that established him as a
pop
-minded interpreter of
soul
styles,
Robert Palmer
surprised fans in 1980 with the stylistic about-face of
Clues
. On this album, he brought his sound into the
new wave
era by playing up the
rock
edge to his music, stripping the high-production gloss from his sound, and incorporating synthesizers into the arrangements. The end result became a big hit in the U.K. and paved the way for later international successes like
Riptide
and
Heavy Nova
.
also produced two notable singles in
"Looking for Clues,"
a clever slice of
that surprises the listener with an unexpected xylophone solo, and
"Johnny and Mary,"
a moody synth-driven
ballad
with perceptive lyrics about a doomed romantic relationship. There is also an impressive cover of
Gary Numan
's
"I Dream of Wires"
that retains the chilly electronic grandeur of the original while successfully working in an earthier rhythm arrangement that makes the song dance-friendly. Elsewhere,
Palmer
shows he hasn't abandoned his penchant for
and ethnic music:
"Woke Up Laughing"
filters an African-style, chant-like vocal melody through a
minimalist
electronic
production style, and
"Found You Now"
effectively combines a
reggae
groove with a deadpan sense of cool that is very "
." The end result is a bit short (it clocks in at barely over a half hour), but it remains one of
's strongest and most consistent albums. In short,
is a must for
fans and worth a spin for anyone into
. ~ Donald A. Guarisco